Customer reviews about AKG C414 XLS

G8

Exciting and versatile choices.

Gilo 891 29.06.2020

I am confining this review to intended, rather than, actual use as the unmatched pair I have was planned for a recording session of a small group of young children for which the session was cancelled due to the Covid 19 pandemic. Given that I had used the sister microphone that is the XLii as a mike for soloists I am sure that it will be perfect for the future task.
I would comment that the manual is particularly helpful in assisting the inexperienced user to know which application needs a C414 XLS or C414XLii. The intended purpose ( e.g. organ violin, backing vocal or speech etc. of the twenty-one listed) .) using either of them comes as “recommended” or “highly recommended” so the end choice is still a happy one. One can hardly complain when the choice is between the two good alternatives.

1

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JA

José Assunção 28.02.2019

I bought my C414 XLS about a year ago, I love everything about it!

The pros:
Marvelous build quality;
Pristine sound;
The ability to choose a middle term between polar patterns;
The included hard case is very sturdy.

The cons:
I can think of one con and it comes from a pro. As the C414 has a very detailed sound and is very sensible, if you have any noise getting in the room, or if the room doesn't sound good you can very clearly hear it on your recordings.
The elastic mount that comes with the XLS isn't all that great either. Wouldn't trust it too much.

Conclusion:
This microphone is a great tool to have, you can throw anything at it whether it's an instrument, vocals, folley and so on, and it'll get the job done just right.

3

2

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A

A Swiss Army knife microphone

Anonymous 07.02.2022

It provides excellent sound quality for any instrument recording! It is a bright microphone but it provides a good representation of the low end of instruments. Not exactly perfect as a kick microphone if you are searching for a deep and boomie sound.

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B

Great but not for me

Brynte 15.11.2022

Very detailed sound, but didn't work for my purpose. Bought it to use on sitar specifically but turned out a combination of a C411 and an SM81 did the job better. Can't fault the 414 for this though.

The "clamp" dampens vibrations well but it is very plasticky and unsteady. Not up to par with the quality of the mic itself.

The case is nicely padded but the lid is too heavy so you can't leave it open without the whole box falling over. Dumb.

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R

Industry Standard, enough said

Rutlemaniac 02.10.2020

I spoke with an experienced producer who recommended this mic. He said he uses it for every production in one capacity or another. With nine polar patterns, bass cut and attenuation options, it's extremely versatile. And it has low self noise. It came with a very nice shock mount, pop screen and in a good quality case for transport. So far I used it for recording vocals and acoustic guitar and I'm pleased with the results. Worth the $.

1

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FP

I’ve used it on vocals mostly

Flex Prod 27.08.2022

Very good quality and balanced .
Bought this one instead of the XLII because it’s more versatile. If you are going to record vocals you may want to go for the XLII but in my opinion both are just fine.

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A

Simply the best

Anonymous 27.02.2022

It’s a 414, what else can I say!

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SS

Perfect honest and detailed sound

Sound Seb 01.09.2021

The silver 414 always works. Especially on acoustic guitar and background vocals. If your room acoustics are well dialled (as they should be), this mic will really shine in bringing a natural and believable render of the source. Prices and service at Thomann are second to none.

1

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se

Good Mic, Not Great

s e f 06.08.2020

This is a very good mic. However I was planning on using it for vocals and I didn't like the way it sounded on mine. (I did end up finding another mic in the $500 range that represented my voice well) The XLii is supposed to be more of a vocal mic, but I didn't try that one out since I already have a c214 which is supposed to be the cardioid-only pattern version of the XLii. The c214 doesn't represent my voice well either, but that's just a personal thing, everyone needs to find a mic that fits their voice. Back to the XLS, I do love the many choices for polar patterns, which makes this thing a workhorse for instruments. I've used it on acoustic and electric cab and the results are very nice. When switching betwen some polar patterns there can be little pops which are annoying, but I don't think they are loud enough to affect anything adversely.

1

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GA

AKG C414, the legendary mic

GK Audio & Acoustics 19.08.2021

excellent sound for large diaphragm all around mic in a reasonable price and with many options like polar patterns, pad and filters.
If you use the case it comes with it is not very balanced and the case can fall back when it is wide open

0

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AKG C414 XLS

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70 Reviews

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AKG C414 XLS

119 Customer ratings

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70 Reviews